


Ticking Like a Timepiece

by tomfoolery14



Series: Dialogue Prompts [4]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Boys In Love, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-05-05 15:01:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14621166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomfoolery14/pseuds/tomfoolery14
Summary: Magnus was feeling burnt out.The kind where he felt weak all over, all of his energy bled from his body. He was like a pile of faintly burning embers littered along the bottom of a fireplace, choked by the ashes they drowned in.





	Ticking Like a Timepiece

**Author's Note:**

> from the dialogue prompt: "you don't sound that well."

Magnus was feeling burnt out.

The kind where he felt weak all over, all of his energy bled from his body. He was like a pile of faintly burning embers littered along the bottom of a fireplace, choked by the ashes they drowned in.

All of his magic had been spent healing one of his Downworlder children; a fledgling vampire, mauled by a rogue werewolf and left out in the rising sun. The burns were extensive, and the pain was excruciating, as Magnus felt second hand as he healed her flaked, crackling skin. Her screams were still ringing in his ears, even though he had used all the strength he could muster to make her as comfortable and sedate as possible before leaving with the promise to check in tomorrow.

Now, as his feet hit the carpet of the loft, he felt his knees buckle as he stepped out through the portal. He managed to carry himself to the couch on trembling legs before dropping onto it unceremoniously. The second he got comfortable, his phone began buzzing somewhere in the abyss of pockets and he groaned, rolling his wrist halfheartedly to summon it into his hand.

“Magnus?” Just the sound of Alec’s voice, crackling slightly over the line, was enough to momentarily soothe him.

“Alexander.” It was almost a whisper, the last syllable getting near lost.

“Whoa, is everything okay?” Alec’s voice grew quiet and concerned, and Magnus could just picture him slipping into the spot between the wall and the window of his office that he was prone to gravitating towards for a semblance of privacy. “You don’t sound that well.”

“I’m all right. I was with a client all afternoon, healing. I’m just…tired.” There wasn’t a word for the specific brand of tired he was, though. “I think I might have a bath.”

“I’m leaving in a few minutes; do you need me to get you anything?” Alec’s unwavering determination to continue doing things the—relatively—mundane way, without the use of magic, was something Magnus loved about him. Magnus was hardly ever stingy with his magic, whether it was for his own needs or those of the ones he loved, but he couldn’t remember the last time Alec had asked him for it first.

“No, no, I’m all right. I’ll see you when you get home.”

Tossing his phone onto the coffee table a little less delicately than was advisable, he rolled off the cushions and made his way to the ensuite. He craved hot water, the smell of lavender and chamomile, and the nebulous feeling of being weightless as he floated in the middle of the tub. He longed to feel untethered for a moment, set free from the massive tangle of knots rooted in his chest.

While the water began to run, emitting steam that fogged the glass of the mirrors in seconds, he wandered around the bathroom, lighting candles and running his fingers along the cold, smooth marble of the counters. The smooth texture was calming for some reason, and his mind was a bit numbed by the repetitive sensation.

Just before he lowered himself into the tub, he spared some of the last drops of magic he could muster to turn on the stereo. White noise was what he needed; something to break up the pathways trying to frantically form in his mind, multiplying like cancerous cells.

The scorch of the water was just what he needed. Slowly immersing his entire body up to the cut of his jaw, he closed his eyes. All across his skin he felt a faint tingling sensation at the abrupt temperature change, but he welcomed it. Lowering his body the rest of the way, he submerged his face and head.

The sensation of the wards being breached brought him back up to the surface, running his hands through his hair. He heard the faint sound of the front door and Alec’s boots on the floor, gradually getting closer.

The bathroom door had been left purposely open, yet Alec was still politely careful in entering. “Magnus, hey.” His voice was soft and gentle, so vastly different from what he heard around anyone else. Even though he had softened so much after being free of the burdens he had carried for so long, there was still a tenderness saved only for Magnus, and it would be a lie to say that Magnus didn’t treasure that knowledge.

“Hi.” Leaning his head back against the edge of the tub, Magnus gave him a tired smile. “How was work?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Alec waved off the comment and came over to sit up against the base of the tub. “What do you need? Anything?” He rested his hand against the cold porcelain, palm up in offering.

Magnus slotted his fingers between Alec’s, and it was so seamless. It was easy as breathing to be with him, to be close to him. “Just this. You.”

“You’re exhausted,” Alec pointed out, raising Magnus’ hand to his lips to kiss it tenderly. “I’m here; take what you need.”

“I’ll be fine after some rest, there’s no need for you to expend yourself too.” Magnus leaned up, resting his elbows on his knees. “Do you want to get in with me? You look like you’ve had a bit of a day yourself.”

Alec chuckled, shaking his head slightly. “If you want me to.”

Magnus pretended to consider it for a moment before smiling and crooking his finger in a _come here_ gesture.

Stripping out of his clothes, Alec carefully set his hands on Magnus’ shoulders while he got in the tub behind him. Once he was settled, his hands slid down the swell of tensed muscles with reverence.

“Mm,” Magnus hummed contentedly, pressed back against Alec. He was a comforting presence, and the beat of his heart served to keep Magnus’ in check. Though he felt tired down to his bones, he also felt blissfully relaxed in the arms of his love.

Holding up his hand, Alec said softly, “Please, let me share what I can with you. There’s not much I can do, not much I can give, but what I can is yours. I want you to take it. Please.”

It was their own brand of magic.

Magnus slowly pressed their palms together, feeling energy seeping into his skin from Alec’s, who let out a soft sigh at the sensation. Where they touched, a soft blue glow pulsed. It was intimate, more so than one might expect. What was inside Alec was reaching for Magnus, and what was in Magnus reached for Alec. When the two energies connected, intertwined, it converted to a shock like electricity, though it wasn’t unpleasant.

“That’s enough for now, I’m all right.” Magnus turned to kiss Alec’s lips tenderly, pulling his hand away and breaking the connection carefully.

“Do you feel any better?”

“I’m going to be just fine, baby.”

“You don’t have to settle.” Alec’s lips brushed the shell of Magnus’ ear, his breath warm. “You deserve better.”

Magnus snorted softly. “How could I possibly be settling when I have everything I need right here?” He ran his hand down Alec’s thigh to thumb softly at the faint scar he was intimately familiar with. “In our little corner of the world.”

“You’ll always have it,” Alec promised.

And in this moment, Magnus didn’t have any room for doubt. His heart was too full.

**Author's Note:**

> come find me at champagnemagnus.tumblr.com!


End file.
